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Overview

There are good guys, there are bad boys, and then there are men with a danger all their own--these are the ones who take you places you never imagined. . .and will never forget.

The Undying Heart by Zoe Archer

Samuel Reed had no idea magic existed, until it almost destroyed him. Thirsting for vengeance against the enemy who made him something less than human, Sam returns to England and crosses paths with Cassandra Fielding. His best friend's little sister has become a fearless woman on a dangerous mission of her own. And against all odds, she sees past what he's become, and stirs a desire he thought he'd lost forever. . .

Simon Says by Bianca D'Arc

Special Forces soldier Simon Blackwell ended his affair with Mariana Daniels three years ago, but he hasn't stopped protecting her. Mariana has no knowledge of the dark, deadly creatures that lurk in the forest surrounding her clinic, or of the mysterious powers that make Simon the only one who can defeat them. But soon he'll have no choice but to reveal the truth, and urge her to trust in an explosive passion that never faded. . .

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Two very different novellas combine themes of love and zombies. Vintage horror, high adventure, and soul-aching romance blend in Archer's compelling “The Undying Heart,” prequel to the upcoming Blades of the Rose trilogy. Cassandra Fielding, a young pistol-in-the-skirts hunter of magical artifacts, renews her childhood infatuation with Sam Reed, even though he's been turned into a cold, fierce, disillusioned, but still handsome zombie by his unscrupulous Crimean War commander. In D'Arc's more modern “Simon Says,” a prequel to Once Bitten, Twice Dead, special ops agent Simon Blackwell chases contagious zombie Marines in the woods by night and dallies with military nurse Mariana Daniels by day, but both pursuits come off as lukewarm and somewhat routine. Readers who love Archer's powerful, polished tale may be disappointed to find that D'Arc's doesn't measure up. (Jan.)

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Romance first, zombies second

Someone must have told these women that zombies can't be romance heroes because they pulled out all the stops to prove that theory wrong. Half Past Dead is a pair of novellas. The Undying Heart by Zoe Archer, a historical paranormal tale of Cassandra Fielding and Samuel Reed. Cassandra is a Blade of the Rose, a member of a mysterious guardian sect trying desperately to prevent magic from being used for nefarious purposes. Samuel is a victim of an evil man, killed on the battlefield by his commander only to be raised and used as tool to tear through enemies. Together they must recover the magical artifact that animates Samuel, even if it costs him his life. Simon Says by Bianca D'Arc is a modern tale pitting a Special Forces soldier with a tragic past against mutated undead in order to save the woman he left behind years ago, before his...accident.
Both are stellar tales, solid, enjoyable love stories, though Simon Says holds closer to the traditional zombie story format. The real winners in this book are readers who get strong, fascinating leads, blistering hot love scenes and, of course, (non rotting) zombies.

Contains: explicit sex scenes

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted August 24, 2013

Half Excellent Paranormal Anthology

I confess: I only bought Half Past Dead for Zoe Archer's story. I love the Blades of the Rose series and was excited to read this prequel tale.

And it *is* a good story. Sam and Cassandra are terrific characters with lots of depth. The villainous Broadwell was very nasty, and the scene in which he raised a shipful of drowned Marines from tthe dead was gruesome and mesmerizing. My only complaint is that the story badly needed an epilogue; the ending is very abrupt.

As for d'Arc's story .... I couldn't even finish it. I slogged my way through pages of info dumping before I finally gave up.

Recommended only to hardcore Archer or d'Arc fans.

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These two romantic fantasies are entertaining zombie romps

"The Undying Heart" by Zoe Archer. During the Crimean War, Sam Reed has been turned into an uncaring zombie soldier by his commander. His childhood friend Cassandra Fielding is an artifact hunter. When they meet as adults they fall in love, but his commander must be stopped before more dead are brought back to battle the living.----------

"Simon Says" by Bianca D'Arc. The government experiment to create super soldiers fails as instead the men are turned into zombies. Black Ops Simon Blackwell is assigned the mission to prevent the escaped zombies from spreading their contagious conversion. However, his past catches up with him when his pursuit runs through Doctor Mariana Daniels, whom he abandoned for the project three years ago.-------------

These two romantic fantasies are entertaining zombie romps though they occur in different eras and atmospheres. -----------

Harriet Klausner

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